Help, we are in our 60’s. What should we be doing about retirement?

We are asked that question frequently. Sometimes, it comes from those who have saved little to nothing for the future. Occasionally, it comes from those who are seeking investment advice about how to manage their savings and investments. Today, we are offering thoughts on what those in their 60’s should be thinking about and doing to plan for the future.

The most important question for someone 60+ does […]

2020-10-05T16:59:24+00:00October 5th, 2020|

A hopeful retirement paradigm for those in ministry, missions, & nonprofit service

Paradigms are powerful. The Oxford English Dictionary defines them as “a pattern or model.” The word was obscure until Thomas Kuhn used it referring to a set of concepts and practices defining a scientific discipline in his 1962 book, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions. Now, it is popularly used to define how someone looks at anything.

Our personal retirement paradigm is built from our hopes and dreams (what […]

2020-09-21T11:30:07+00:00September 21st, 2020|

Pennie offers principles to guide financial decisions

Over the years there have been several published advice columnists who have answered questions from readers. Random House distributed Abigail Van Buren’s advice for decades. Ann Landers answered questions from anyone willing to pour out their heart. As recently as 2000, those two trusted advisors were published in over 500 newspapers across the USA.

These two headliners spurred others to offer similar, although more targeted, Q&A columns. Billy […]

2020-09-03T14:33:24+00:00September 3rd, 2020|

Fielding this routine groundball can change your future

Today, I would like to address those serving in the early years of their ministry. Follow closely.

Baseball is a game made up of intricate movements. Those who watch a game on television never see ninety percent of the shifts and adjustments that affect the outcome. Those who attend games may observe only fifteen percent more. Fans are waiting for the game changing moment. They await the key […]

2020-08-31T15:53:46+00:00August 31st, 2020|

Don’t be the reason for the smile on the phisherman’s face

Look at the HUGE smile on the face of the fisherman in the photo accompanying this post! He had every reason to have that smile. He had gone fishing in St. Mary’s County, Maryland and caught the trophy fish! He had to work to bring it in. The photo of him with the big grin, holding the fish, may well have been framed and hung in his […]

2020-08-27T13:48:48+00:00August 27th, 2020|

Avoiding the sound of “splat” while accepting risk

Last week, we posted thoughts on the necessity of accepting risk into life. God wants our heart, our mind, and our life open to others. This openness places us in a position where our feelings can be hurt, our emotions can erupt, and our lives can seem crushed. Opening ourselves also allows God to use the talents he has given us to bless others. It allows the […]

2020-07-30T12:43:00+00:00July 30th, 2020|

Timeless financial lessons from the fishin’ hole

I remember my Dad teaching me how to fish. I remember being enthralled with the rods and reels at Jones Hardware in downtown Leaksville, NC. One day in 1958, he succumbed to my plea, purchasing a Zebco 33 rod & reel for our new adventure in fishing!

The first step was to stand in our back yard to learn a little about casting. The maple tree near the […]

2020-07-27T14:57:49+00:00July 27th, 2020|

Saving for the future – an ancient, universal principal

We live in an incredible age of immediate gratification! When we want something, it is likely we can get it almost immediately. The lighting and temperature of our home may be controlled from an app on our phone…even if we are far away. Last week, the driver’s side window of my convertible suddenly stopped dropping whenever the door was opened (a characteristic of convertible automobiles). Rather than […]

2020-07-20T15:34:05+00:00July 20th, 2020|

Safely correcting course when you discover you made a wrong turn!

I have been guilty of making an abundance of wrong turns in my life. Duh! I am, after all, a man. You are well acquainted with the stereotype, men do not ask for directions, we crank the car and we DRIVE! Thankfully I have never made a wrong turn like the one depicted in the image above, or one driver’s missed turn recorded on Youtube here. […]

2020-06-25T13:00:56+00:00June 25th, 2020|

Everything You Need to Know About Budgeting – maybe!

Hey, we know budgeting is no picnic. It can be (and has been) described as difficult, laborious, painful, tough, tiresome, galling, onerous, and perhaps a gargantuan pain in the neck! That is why there are creators of software, apps, and plans always trying to create something that will make it easier and more understandable. Significant profit potential awaits the creator of the software/app that reviewers tout as […]

2020-06-15T16:25:58+00:00June 15th, 2020|